Topic Sentence Unscramble

My Survival Crate
Directions: The sentences below fit together to form a Perfect Paragraph, but they’re all mixed up.
Cut them out and paste them in the correct order using Paragraph Template #2 (page
90). Be careful—one sentence doesn’t belong! When finished, color code the sentences as
follows: yellow = topic sentence, blue = supporting sentences (each identifying an item in
the crate), green = detail sentences, and red = concluding sentence.
Intermediate Paragraph Paste-Up
Descriptive
 Next, I’d bring a harmonica.
 I’ve always wanted to learn it, and with a month at sea, I’d have plenty of time.
 Finally, I’d be sure to bring some long underwear.
 I have a feeling the sailors get a bit hungry on those trips.
 I also want to learn how to play the electric guitar.
 First of all, I would bring a secret stash of beef jerky.
 If I had all that stuff, I might just make it. Two pairs would be even better.
 If I were sailing across the Atlantic with Columbus, I would pack my crate very carefully.
River Kayaks
Directions: The sentences below fit together to form a Perfect Paragraph, but they’re all mixed up. Cut
them out and paste them in the correct order using Paragraph Template #2 (page 90). Be careful—one
sentence doesn’t belong! When finished, color code the sentences as follows: yellow = topic sentence,
blue = supporting sentences (each identifying an event in the narrative), green = detail sentences, and
red = concluding sentence.
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At first, the river was slow and calm, which was great for spotting wildlife.
We rented kayaks and put in at a place called Graves Creek.
Pretty soon, the river started running wild.
Last summer, I had a great time kayaking down the river.
The kayaks looked a little like torpedoes.
I thought the rapids would swallow me alive.
That was an outdoor adventure I’ll never forget.
I saw a bald eagle make off with a fish, and three deer standing on a sandbar.
We had a big taco dinner when we got home.
Bully for Teddy Roosevelt- Intermediate Paragraph Paste-Up- Expository
Directions: The sentences below fit together to form a Perfect Paragraph, but they’re
all mixed up. Cut them out and paste them in the correct order using Paragraph Template
#2 (page 90). Be careful—one sentence doesn’t belong! When finished, color code the sentences as
follows: yellow = topic sentence, blue = supporting sentences (each giving a reason the topic sentence is
true), green = detail sentences, and red = concluding sentence.
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He’s famous for leading the charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish American War, but did
you know he also saved football?
Theodore Roosevelt is one of the most fascinating people in American history.
He refused to shoot a captured bear during a hunting trip, and all of America cheered him for it.
He helped make the sport safer so that it would not be banned.
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There is a lot more to know about Theodore Roosevelt, but it’s already easy to see why his face
is carved on Mount Rushmore.
Another president I really like is Thomas Jefferson.
Finally, the Teddy Bear is named after Roosevelt.
While president, he created the National Forest system and preserved more than 200 million
acres of land, including much of the Grand Canyon.
In addition to sports, he also loved the outdoors and worked hard to protect nature.
Inside My Video Game!
Directions: The sentences below fit together to form a Perfect Paragraph, but they’re all mixed up. Cut
them out and paste them in the correct order using Paragraph Template #2 (page 90). Be careful—one
sentence doesn’t belong! When finished, color code the sentences as follows: yellow = topic sentence,
blue = supporting sentences (each identifying an event in the story), green = detail sentences, and red =
concluding sentence.
 On Saturday, I was playing my PS2 when somehow I got sucked into Need for Speed, the video
game.
 I punched the NOS switch and blasted my way across the gap.
 It was blue with green flames on the side, and it had a massive Nitrous Oxide System in back.
 You can also play Need for Speed on your computer.
 Green flames came bursting out of my tailpipe as I flew through the air.
 The car I was racing skidded out in front of me, so I hung a quick left.
 It was quite a ride, and when I woke up on the sofa, I was all sweaty.
 I was ripping through San Francisco in a supercharged Mustang.
 The turn sent me heading toward a drawbridge that was opening.
The Coolest Room
Directions: Unscramble the sentences so that they form a Perfect Paragraph. When finished, color
code the sentences as follows: yellow = topic sentence, blue = supporting sentences (each giving a
reason why the topic sentence is true), green = detail sentences, red = concluding sentence.
• Finally, my bunk bed is like a jungle gym.
• I also have a cage full of gerbils.
• My room is special to me because it’s full of fantastic sights and sounds.
• Sometimes I pretend I’m a monkey swinging from bunk to bunk.
• When I’m lying in bed, I imagine myself body slamming Stone Cold Steve Austin.
• At night, it’s comforting to hear them scratching in the sawdust and shredded paper.
• For one thing, I have lots of wrestling posters tacked to my ceiling.
• I guess I’m pretty lucky to have such a cool room.
A Lame Halloween
Directions: Unscramble the sentences so that they form a Perfect Paragraph. When finished, color code
the sentences as follows: yellow = topic sentence, blue = supporting sentences (each telling an event in
the story), green = detail sentences, red = concluding sentence.
• Finally, when I went trick-or-treating at the mall, all they gave out were three-year-old Tootsie
Rolls.
• He made us watch a movie about brushing our teeth instead.
• First of all, my mom made me go to school wearing the same Pokémon costume I wore last
year.
• This year, I had the lamest Halloween ever.
• Yep, it was definitely a holiday worth forgetting.
• I cracked a tooth when I tried to chew one.
• The kids all laughed at me when they saw the silly yellow fur and the big, round eyes.
• Next, the teacher cancelled the class party.
An Important Event in History
Directions: Unscramble the sentences so that they form a Perfect Paragraph. When finished, color
code the sentences as follows: yellow = topic sentence, blue = supporting sentences (each telling a
fact about the event or why it was important), green = detail sentences, red = concluding sentence.
• It was a huge best-seller, and after reading it, many people started calling for the abolition of
slavery.
• It was important because it showed the country what slavery was really like.
• When Lincoln met Stowe, he said, “So you’re the little lady that started this great big war.”
• A great moment in history was when Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
• Imagine how different our country might be had she never written those words!
• Stowe’s book also shows how important it is to be able to write well.
• It may even have convinced President Abraham Lincoln to fight.
• Through her words, she helped end slavery.
The Day I Met Elvis
Directions: Unscramble the sentences so that they form a Perfect Paragraph. When finished, color code
the sentences as follows: yellow = topic sentence, blue = supporting sentences (each telling an event in
the story), green = detail sentences, red = concluding sentence.
• To this day, I wonder if he ever caught anything with my jig.
• He introduced himself, and then he asked me what kind of bait I was using.
• He seemed particularly taken with my willowspoon jig, so I let him have it.
• “I just been layin’ low” is all he said, and then he paddled away.
• I was fishing for walleye on a lake outside of town when Elvis Presley came rowing up in a
canoe.
• It was eerie hearing him say his name in that famous Southern drawl.
• I asked him where he’d been all these years.
• I told him I was using a lure, and I showed him my collection.